Slicing machine



Dec. 3, 1946.

M. BRusTowsKY SLICING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Fiie d May 8, i942 INVENTOR. Mame/s fiez/sro/vszrx ATTORNJ'YS.

WITNESS.

Dec. 3, 1946.

M. BRUSTOWSKY 2,412,079

SLIGING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 'INVENTOR.

Original Filed May 8, 1942 & V

MORRIS eusrozvs/rx BYE Amway:

WITNESS.

1946- M. BRUSTOWSKY I 2,412,079

SLICI\NG MACHINE Original Filed May 8, 1942 4 Shets+$heet 4 Ficafi.

Tram v;

Patented Dec. 3, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SLICING MACHINE Morris Brustowsky, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to U. S. Slicing Machine Company, La Porte, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Continuation of application Serial No. 442,186, May 8, 1942. This application February 19, 1944, Serial No. 523,009

8 Claims. (Cl. 146-102) This invention relates to new and useful im- Fig. 2 is a bottom elevational view of the maprovements in slicing machines and more parchine; ticularly to slicing machines which employ a re- Fi 3 is a detail longitudinal vertical sectional ciprocating table or carriage upon which the w O t line o article to be operated upon is supported and by Fig. 4 is a detail longitudinal vertical sectional which the article is moved into and out of en- View on the line 4-4 of Fig. gagement with a power driven knife, Fig, 5 is a detail transverse vertical sectional In certain of such machines, the reciprocating view on the line 5-5 of Fig. t bl or support is oper ted by h In another Fig. 6 is an enlarged scale detail sectional view type, the reciprocating table or support may be the line -4 of operated th by h d or power and t is t Fig. 7 is a detail horizontal sectional view on this latter type of machine that this invention the line o and t l l pertains Fig. 8 is a detail view of a switch latching One object of the invention is to improve the means- I construction and mode of operation of slicing The particular device herein disclosed for the machines of the aforementioned type and to propurpose o illustrating t present vention is vide such machines with mechanism which will p e e ably provided with a suitably formed base enhance the operation thereof. frame l0 S- 3 d 4)- Another object of the invention is the-provision Slicing wheel drive of a novel power operated mechanism for mov- A slicing knife II is rotatably mounted at the rear of the machine and is driven from a shaft l2 by means of suitable belt and pulley arrangements within a housing 9 (Fig. 1). The shaft I2 carries a driving worm l3 and is connected by means of a coupling [4, preferably of the flexible type, to the shaft of the motor l5. Operation of the motor rotates the knife to effect the slicing operation.

ing the reciprocating table or support into and. out of operative relation with the cutting knife.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a novel construction and arrangement of parts whereby the power operated mechanism for reciprocating the table or support may be thrown out of operative relation with the table or support to permit free operation thereof by hand if so desired. 7

Other objects of the invention relate to cer- Reciprocating table mounting tain novel and improved constructions, arrangee e at.as:metastasestheir? scribed and particularly pointed out in the claims, cation past the slicing knife one Side of the the advanta es of which will be readily undert table [6 (Fig. 5) is supported by a sleeve-like bearstood and apprecmted by those Sklued ing l1 slidably mounted upon a rod I8 which e extends longitudinally within the base of the This application is a continuation of an apmachine. The other side is supported by a roller plication for Lettelfs Patem upon a new and l9 which rests upon a rod 20-which extends longii imprPVement 1n shcing machine filed by 40 tudinally exteriorly of the base and on the right this apphcant on May 19421 as senal side of the machine when viewed from the front.

186. In addition. this application discloses, but A handle or grip 2 (Fig 1 is provided for does not claim, the same subject matter disclosed ating the table or support by hand in lieu f pbwer and C ai ed in a -pe application for when desired. When the motor 15 is operating, ters Patent upon a new and useful improvement 5 th knife will be rotated and the table or supin a switch control means for a slicing machine port may be freely moved by hand back and filed by applicant on December 22, 1942, as Serial forth, out of and into operative relation with the No. 469,797. knife in such a manner that slices of the article The accompanying drawings illustrate one emoperated upon may be removed by said knife. bodiment of a device incorporatin the features of the present invention, in which Constructzon of table drwe Fig. 1 is a top plan view partly broken away Means employing the power of the motor I5 for clarity and illustrates a, machine of the type to reciprocate the table or support include two described constructed in accordance with the pulleys 23 and 24 mounted within the lower porpresent invention; tion of the base of the machine (Figs. 3 and 4).

The pulley 23 is carried by a vertically disposed shaft or bolt 25 mounted in a plate or bracket 23 secured within the front part of the base of themachine as at 21. I

The pulley 24 is carried near the lower end of a vertically disposedshaft 28 mounted in a housing 29 which is securedwithin the rear portion of the base of .the machine as at 30. A worm v gear '32 is mounted within the housing 23 and is carried by the shaft 28. Gear 32 meshes with and is driven by a driving worm l3 mounted upon the drive shaft |2 (Fig. 4). A belt 34 is disposedin a horizontal plane within the base ID of the ma chine and is supported by and passes around pulleys 23 and 24.

' An arm 36 depends from the sleeve-"like bear.- ing H for supporting the table and is secured thereto by bolts or the like (Figs. 4 and 5)..

neath the head 53 of the pin 48 and withdraws the pin 43 outwardly of the housing 31 and out of engagement with that arm of the star wheel which is shown as bitingthe reach 43 of the belt against the pinch block 4 V As soon as the pin 48 has been disengaged from the-star wheel, the star wheel is free to move in a clockwise direction as indicated by the arrow B. As the star wheel starts to rotate, the bite between the arm 46 thereof and the pinch block 4| is relieved and that arm 46 of the star wheel which is shown at the left of the center in Fig. '1 moves first into engagement with the reach 42 of the belt, biting it against the pinch block 40. As the star wheel continues to rotate, the last mentioned arm 46 thereof engages the pin 41 to arrest rotation of the star wheel 44 and to lock the Upon the lower end of the arm 33 there a housing 31, one side 38 of which is removably secured to the housing by bolts or the like 39.

v The reaches 42, 43 of belt 34 pass through the housing 31 and inwardly with respect to pinch blocks and 4| (Fig. '1), which are carried by the housing 31. v A star wheel 44, mounted Within the housing 3-1 and disposed between the flights 42 and 43 of the belt 34, is freely rotatable upon a shaft 45 and preferably has five arms 46 extending radial- 1y therefrom in equally spaced relation to one another. I

Means to limit the rotary movement of the star wheel 44 to a step by step motion includes two pins 41 and 48 carried by the housing 31 at diametrically opposite points of the star wheel 44. The'pins 41 and 48 are of such length that when they are moved inwardly of the housing they extend between the arms of the star wheel to prevent rotation thereof but to permit rotation thereof when they are withdrawn from the housing. ;'I'he pins 41 and 48 are alternately moved inwardly and outwardly with respect to the housing bytwo stationary cams 50 and 5| carried by the base of the vmachine. Cam 50 is located just in advance of the pulley 23, whereas cam 5| is 10- cated just in advance of the, pulley 24. Each of the cams 50- and 5| consists of abar having a beveled face 52 upon its free end and each'of the pins 41 and 48 has a head 53 upon its outer end.

The pins 41 and 48 are normally forced inwardly of the housing 31 by means of springs 54 and the beveled facesof the cams are adapted to engage behind the heads of the pins to withdraw them from the housing against the action of said springs 54n V I When the belt-travels in the direction indicated bythe arrows A in Fig. '1, the star wheel 44 moves inastep by step motion in a clockwise direction 'as indicated by the arrow B in said figure.

The arms 46 of the star wheel 44 are of such length that when one of them is disposed at right angles to one of thereaches of the belt, it will bite the belt and pinch it against the corresponding pinch block 40 or 4|, thus locking the housing 31 to one of the reaches of the belt and causing it to move in the direction of movement of that reach of the belt to which it is locked.

Operation of table'drioe In Fig. '7, the housing 31 is illustrated at substantially the endofits movement to the left with one ofthe arms 46 in engagement with the pin 48,1and also biting thereach 43 against the pinch block. At. this point, the pin 48 .engages'the tam-5o. the "beveled edge 52 of 'which'rides behousing 31 to the reach 42 of the belt.

By looking the housing 31 to the reach 42 the belt moves the housing to the right until it reaches the full extent of its movement in this direction. While the housing moved towards the right, the pin 48 (Fig. '1) cleared the cam 53 and was again projected into the housing under the influence of its spring 54, thus positioning it in the path of the next arm of the star wheel which is to bite the reach 43 of the belt when the housing 31 reaches the full extent of its movement to the right.

When the housing has reached its extreme right hand position, the beveled face 52 of the cam 5| (Fig. 4) engages behind the head of the pin 41 and Withdraws it to a point where it disengages the star wheel and permits it to turn another step in the clockwise direction to move that arm illustrated at the right of the center in Fig. 7 into biting engagement with the reach 43 of the belt and into engagement with the pin 48 to lock the housing 31 to the belt 34 and move the housing again to the'left.

Clutch for table drive the base of'the machine (Fig. 4). The clutch may be 'engaged when it is desired to operate the table or support l5 by power.

The forktl' of the clutch 60 is carried by the right angular extension 62 of a lever 63 pivotally mounted as. at 64 on the base or frame |0 (Figs. 2and 3). A coil spring 65 connected at one end to the right angular extension 62 as at 65 and at its other end as at 61, to the housing 29, tends normally to elevate the lever 63 and maintain the clutch 60in position to operatively connect the, pulley 24 to its shaft 28.

The'lever 63 carries a roller 68 which rides the cam, face 89 of a cam 10 carried by the inner end of, a rod 1|. Rod Tl is slidably mounted is held in position against the tension of the,

spring 65 to maintain. the clutch in its releasing position because the 'roller;6,8 rests in the depressed portion 15 of the'cam face 69, of the cam 10. 1

Switch mechanism Lever 19 of a snap switch which controls the circuit of the motor [5 in Fig. 2, is shown in full lines in that position in which the motor circuit is open and all parts are at rest and in dotted lines in the position in which the motor driven thereby.

Switch and clutch. operation When the switch is in its on position the motor rotates the knife and the table or support may be moved towards and away from operative relation with the knife by hand by means of the handle 2|. The mechanical table drive is disconnected because when the rod H is in its innermost position, the clutch 68 disconnects the pulley 24 from its shaft 28 and permits the shaft to run freely within the pulley.

Ifit is desired to operate the table or support by power, the rod H is pulled outwardly (Fig. 3) to dislodge the roller 58 from the curved portiori of the cam face 69. The roller then rides down the cam face 69 and permits the lever 63 to move the clutch 60, under the influence of the spring 65, to lock the pulley 24 to its shaft 28, to permit operation of the power operated mechanism for reciprocating the table or support I6.

Switch and clutch interlock An interlock prevents movement of the switch lever 19 unless th clutch operating mechanism is disengaged, and prevents movement of clutch mechanism when switch is in its "01? position. This interlock includes a latch member 16 (Figs. 2 and '8) which is connected to the switch lever 79, and which comprises a body portion 11 having an opening 18 through which passes the throw lever of the switch 19. A reduced extension 88 projects from the body portion 11 and this extension has a notch or cut-out portion 8| which forms a shoulder such as 82. Theextension Bil (Fig. 3) projects through the bearing I l I I at right angles to the rod H with the notched portion 8| of the latch overlying the rod. The rod H is provided with a circumferential groove 83, which is so located that when the rod H is in its innermost position, the groove 83 will lie directly beneath the extension 8| of the latch 16. In this position of the rod II, the clutch is in its pulley releasing position.

The switch lever 19 and the groove 83 ofthe rod are so related with respect to latch 16, that when the parts are in the position shown in Figure 3 and in full lines in Figure 8, the switch lever 19 may be moved freely to either its off or on position. The switch lever 19 moves in a direction away from the rod H and its operating knob 14', to its on position as illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawings. 'When the switch lever is inits off position (Fig. 8) the shoulder 82 of the notch 8| occupies a=position in the groove 83 of the rod H and looks the rod H against operation so long as the switch lever is in its off position.

However, when the switch lever is moved to its "on position, the latch is moved to the dotted line position shown in Figure 8, freeing the shoulder 82 from the groove 83 of the rod 'H, and leaving the rod free for operation of the clutch to connect the pulley 24 to its shaft. If now the rod H is moved outwardly to operate the clutch to connect the pulley 24 to its shaft 28, the groove 83 passes out of alignment or registration with the latch 16 and the shoulder 82 of the notch 8| engages the larger diameter of the rod II and prevents movement of the switch lever 19 to its off position.

Thus when the clutch is in position to lock the pulley 24 to its shaft '28, the motor must be in operation and cannot be cut out of operation until the clutch 60 is moved to its pulley releasing position. Disengaging the clutch by moving the rod inwardly to a point where its groove 83 will aline with the latch 16 permits the shoulder to enter said groove 83, whereby full movement of the switch lever to its off position may be effected. Thereafter the rod H cannot be moved outwardly to operate the clutch 60, to operatively connect the pulley 24 to its shaft 28 until the switch lever is again moved to its on position.

Rsum

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the present invention provides a new and novel operating mechanism for operating the table or support ofa slicing machine in which the table or support may be operated either by hand or power.

Furthermore, the invention provides means whereby the power operated driving mechanism of thetable or support is maintined inoperative except when the motor is in operation.

Changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing fromthe spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages, and the right is hereby reserved to make all such changes as fairly fall within the scope of the following claims.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. In a slicing machine in combination, a base, a supporting table reciprocally mounted on said base, a motor, and a mechanism for mechanically reciprocating the supporting table, said mechanism including an endless belt, means operated by the motor for driving the endless belt continuously in one direction, a housing through which the reaches of the belt pass, means for operatively connecting the housing with the supporting table, and means for operatively connecting the housing alternately with the reaches of the belt to reciprocate the housing by the belt, said means including a pinch block carried by the housing and mounted adjacent each reach of the belt, a star wheel freely rotatable within the housing between the reaches of the belt, the arms of said star wheel being .of sufficient length to operatively engage one of the reaches of the belt with its respective pinch block to lock the housing to the belt when the star wheel is rotated to position one of its arms in a plane at right angles to the plane of one of the reaches of the belt, a pair of pins slidably mounted in the housing, means tending to move said pins inwardly of the housing into the path of the arms of the star wheel to prevent rotation thereof to operatively connect the star wheel with the reaches of the belt, and means for alternately moving said pins Gut of the path'of the arms of the star wheel to permit of a step by step movement thereof.

12.1 In a slicing machine in combination, a base, a supporting table reciprocally mounted on said base, a motor, and a mechanism for mechanically reciprocating the supporting table, said mechanism'i-ncluding an endless belt, means operated by the motor for driving the, endless belt continuously in one direction, a housing through which the reaches of the beltpass, means for operatively connecting the housing with the supporting table; and means for operatively connecting the housing alternately with the reaches ofthe belt to reciprocate the housing by the belt, said means including a pinch block carried by the housing and mounted adjacent each reach of *the belt, a star wheel freely rotatable within the-housing between the reaches of the belt, the arms of said belt being of sufllcient length to operatively engage one of the reaches of the belt with its respective pinch block to lock the housing to the belt when the star wheel is rotated to position one of its arms in a plane at right angles to the plane of one of the reaches of the belt, and alternately operated diametrically opposed means for engagement'with the arms of the star wheel toprevent rotation thereof, thereby to connect the star wheel alternately with the 7 reaches of the belt.

3. In a slicing machine in combination, a base, a supporting table reciprocally mounted on said base,'a motor, and a mechanism for mechanically reciprocating the supporting table, said mechanism including an endless belt, means operated by the motor for driving said belt, a housing through which the reaches of the belt pass, said housing having an end wall adjacent each of said reaches, means for operatively connecting the housing with the supporting table and means for operatively connecting the housing alternately with the reaches of the belt to reciprocate the housing by the belt, said means including 4, a'star wheel freely rotatable in one direction in the housing between the reaches of the belt, the

arms of said star wheel being of suflicient length to operatively engage oneof the reaches of the belt with its respective adjacent end wall of the housing tolock the housing to the belt when the star wheel is rotated to position one of its arms in a plane at right angles to the plane of the. reaches of the belt, means carried by the housing and movable into and out of the path of the arms of the star wheel and means for moving said last mentioned means alternately into and out of the path of the arms of the star wheel to alternately prevent and permit limited rotation thereof.

4. In a slicing, machine having a' slicing knife and means to rotate the same, a reciprocable table for material to be sliced, an endless driving belt and a reversing clutch transmission including a housing secured to said table, fo translating rotary motion for rotating the slicing knife to linear motion for reciprocating the table, means for opera-tively connectin the housin of said reversing clutch transmission alternately with the reaches of said belt to reciprocatethe housing by the belt, said means including a pinch block carried by the housing and mounted adjacent each reach of the belt, a star Wheel freely rotatable within the housing between thereaches of the belt, the arms of said stanwheel being of sufficient length tooperatively engage one of the reachesof the ,belt With itsrespective pinch block to-lock' the housingv to the belt when the star wheel is rotated to positionon e of its arms in a plane with the reaches of the belt, and means for al-' ternately moving said pins out of the path of the arms of the star wheel to permit of a step by step movement thereof.

5. In a slicing machine having a slicing knife and means to rotate the same, a reoiprocable table for the material to be sliced, an endless driving belt and a reversing clutch transmission including a housing secured to said table, for translating rotary motion for rotating the slicing knife to linear motion for reciprocating the table, means for operatively connecting the housing of said reversing clutch transmission alternatelywith the reaches of said belt to reciprocate the housin by the belt, said means including a pinch block carried by the housing and mounted adjacent each reach of the belt, a star wheel freely rotatable within the housing between thereaches of the belt, the arms of said star wheel being of sufiicient length to operatively engage one of the reaches of the belt with its respective pinch block whereby to lock the housing to the belt when the star wheel is rotated to position one of its arms i-n'a plane at right angles to the plane of one of the reaches of the belt, and alternately operated diametrically opposed means, for engagement with the arms of the star wheel to prevent rotation thereof, thereby to connect the star Wheel alternately with the reaches of thebelt.

, 6. In a slicing machine, a reciprocable article carrying table, means for reciprocating the table, saidmeans embodying an. endless traveling belt, gripping surfaces carried by said table, individual to and disposed adjacent the respective runs of said belt, a freely rotatable element disposed between the belt runs, said element having circumferentially spaced gripping areas common to the belt runs and adapted to alternately engage the belt runs and cooperate with the respective said gripping surfaces, to grip one of the belt runs therebetween, stop devices, means for projecting said stop devices between the said areas of said element to arrest the rotation of the latter, and

means disposed adjacent the ends of the travel of said table for alternately rendering said stop devices inactive.

" 'T;;-* In-a slicing machine a slicing knife, means in actuatin the knife, a reciprocable table for the material to besliced, means for reciprocating; the table, the .last said means embodying a traveling endless belt having a constant direction of movement, means for alternately connecting saidtable with the opposite runs of said belt, the last .said means embodying pinch members common to said belt runs and carried by'said'table, said pinch members embodying a freely rotatable element, disposed between the. belt runs and embodying circumterentially spaced belt engaging said table with the opposite runs of said belt, the last said means embodyin pinch members com mon to said belt runs and carried by said table, said pinch members embodying a, freely rotatable element, disposed between the belt runs and embodying .circm'iiferentially spaced belt engaging portions adapted to cooperate with the respective said surfaces to clamp one of the runs of the belt therebetween, means for limiting the rotary move- 

